This study presents a course model to demonstrate how students' current work experiences can be utilized as a viable alternative to internships. While internships have been shown to enhance a student's college experience, underserved and underrepresented students are often unable to pursue this high impact practice due to financial,…

As in many other countries, individuals with disabilities in the Netherlands have difficulties in establishing sustainable careers. In the Netherlands, "Royal Philips" offers a work-experience program with the possibility to follow vocational education. Based on national register data, a control group was constructed that includes…

The smooth transition of young people to the labor market and their competency in successfully planning and developing their careers constitute key aims of all modern education systems. The implementation of work placements plays an important role in the realization of these aims by enhancing the communication between the education providers and…

Context: Often, vocational education and training (VET) professionals are not systematically prepared for their demanding, mostly diverse and complex tasks. Professional development can be understood as an enlargement of competencies that arise as opportunities in daily work. This study, embedded in a funded research project, focuses on VET…

Research shows that employers are less likely to hire workers with little to no experience for the "first jobs" that many younger workers rely on to build their skills and credentials. Without those first jobs, many will face fewer paths to enter the workforce. To help the non-college-bound, the nation's education system needs to create…

The main focus of the paper is on youth unemployment and wider transitions into work, but it also has some thoughts on adult unemployment and re-training. This paper is founded upon a basic assumption -- namely that if the public money available across the United Kingdom to support measures around skills and unemployment is finite, then targeting…

This Position Paper explores some of the assumptions that underpin the dependence on physical WIL placements. The authors focus on the fundamental question of what exactly we are preparing students for -- is it the workplace, or should we think more broadly about preparing students for the workforce? This raises other questions around the…

Context: COVID-19 poses major challenges for vocational education and training (VET), as VET--in contrast to general education--is closely linked to the economic system and cannot escape the impact of current economic restrictions. Additionally, strict infection control regulations, as well as temporary school and company closures, inhibit the…

This report explores best practice in the design and delivery of pre-apprenticeship programmes across Europe. For the purposes of this project, pre-apprenticeship programmes are defined as programmes targeted at young people aged 16-24, where at least one of the stated aims is progression to an apprenticeship. Across Europe, some programmes are…

This report describes a study conducted by the Community College Research Center (CCRC) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Task Force on the Work of the Future to understand how community colleges are adapting their workforce programs to changing skill demands, diversifying pathways to certificates and degrees, and grappling with…

Surveys of New England employers, college academic officers, and graduates find that many consider today's college graduates inadequately prepared for the world of work. In 2017, the New England Board of Higher Education convened the Commission on Higher Education & Employability, under the leadership of Rhode Island Governor Gina M. Raimondo.…

The pedagogy relevant to work-integrated learning (WIL) has formed a significant component of most educational processes and has become a necessity for the public relations industry in South Africa. Properly planned, designed and monitored programmes expose students to professional culture and workplace practice. This paper outlines the pedagogy…

In the 21st century, the idea of preparing youth for the workforce has taken on new meaning. The shift to a knowledge economy has brought widespread concern that young people are entering the workforce without the skills employers value most, such as communication, critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork skills. As youth programs evaluate how…

Cooperative work experience programs were examined in terms of their scope and success in meeting student and community needs. Teacher-coordinators, administrators, and students participating in work programs at eight colleges offering work programs were interviewed. Students from industrial technology classes at a 4-year college were surveyed to…

Using data from a study of the work experience of 12 pre-16-year-old students, argues that work experience has expanded rapidly without proper debate about its purposes, potential or structure. As experience-based learning, it relies heavily upon debriefing to maximize its learning potential. Although difficult to accomplish, and surrounded by…